Do you enjoy rainy days? They provide a great opportunity to stay indoors and engage in activities such as playing board games or reading a good book. For many people, the most exciting part of a rainstorm is what comes after. Have you ever looked up at the sky after a heavy rain and observed a vibrant, colorful rainbow?
If you have been pondering this question with us for some time, you may already be aware that rainbows form when raindrops divide white light into a complete range of colored light. However, were you aware that rain is not necessary for a rainbow to appear? That’s right! You can witness all the colors of light at any time you desire. All you need is a prism.
A prism is a three-dimensional glass object with various polygonal sides. Prisms come in numerous shapes and are named based on the shape of their two ends. One of the most common types of prisms is the triangular prism.
Sir Isaac Newton utilized a triangular prism when he developed his theory of light. Of course, Newton was not the first person to experiment with prisms. Prior to Newton, people believed that glass prisms distorted light. When light passed through a prism and created a rainbow, they attributed the colors to the glass itself.
Newton disproved this belief. He positioned a prism near his window, causing the complete spectrum of light to appear on the opposite wall. This phenomenon is known as dispersion, which involves the separation of white light into all its constituent colors.
However, Newton then placed an inverted prism in front of the spectrum of light. This caused the colors of light to merge together and form white light again. This is how Newton discovered that white light is composed of the entire spectrum of colors.
So how does a prism actually work? Inside the glass, the different colors of light travel at varying speeds. As a result, they bend at different angles. This is why they emerge separately on the other side of the prism, arranged in order from the fastest color (red) to the slowest color (violet).
If you have ever witnessed a rainbow after a storm, you are probably familiar with the excitement it brings. With a prism, you can explore the science behind rainbows and light right in the comfort of your own home! Who knows what else you might discover? Perhaps you will develop your own theory of light.
Try It Out
Find an adult to assist you in engaging in one or more of the following activities:
- Are you ready to experiment with prisms yourself? Create your own prism and test it in a well-lit area. Make sure to have a friend or family member assist you! Discuss what is happening as you use your prism to observe all the colors of light.
- Now that you understand how prisms function, explain it to someone else. Draw and color a picture to illustrate what occurs when light passes through a prism. Write a brief explanation at the bottom of your drawing. What happens to the light inside the prism? Why do we see so many colors?
- Now that you know how prisms create rainbows, have you ever wondered how bubbles do the same? After reading, give it a try! Go outside and blow some bubbles. Look closely. Can you see all the colors of the rainbow?
Primary Sources
- https://wonders.physics.wisc.edu/prisms/ (visited on October 30, 2019)
- https://aty.sdsu.edu/explain/optics/prisms.html (visited on October 30, 2019)
- https://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/refrn/u14l4a.cfm (visited on October 30, 2019)
- https://courses.lumenlearning.com/physics/chapter/25-5-dispersion-the-rainbow-and-prisms/ (visited on October 30, 2019)
- https://www.khanacademy.org/science/in-in-class10th-physics/in-in-the-human-eye-and-the-colourful-world/in-in-dispersion-of-light-in-prism/v/newton-prism-experiment (visited on October 31, 2019)
FAQ
1. What are prisms?
Prisms are geometric shapes that have two identical polygonal bases and lateral faces that are parallelograms. They are three-dimensional objects that have a certain height, length, and width. Prisms are commonly found in everyday life, such as in buildings, eyeglasses, and camera lenses. They are often made of materials like glass or plastic, which are transparent and have the ability to refract or bend light.
2. How do prisms work?
Prisms work by manipulating the path of light. When light passes through a prism, it bends or refracts due to the different angles and densities of the prism’s surfaces. This refraction separates the different colors of light, creating a spectrum. Prisms can also be used to reflect light, redirecting it to a different direction. This property is utilized in devices like periscopes and binoculars.
3. What are the different types of prisms?
There are several types of prisms, including rectangular prisms, triangular prisms, pentagonal prisms, and hexagonal prisms. Each type has different polygonal bases and different numbers of lateral faces. For example, a rectangular prism has two rectangular bases and four rectangular lateral faces. Triangular prisms have two triangular bases and three rectangular lateral faces.
4. What are prisms used for?
Prisms have various applications in different fields. In optics, prisms are used to manipulate light to correct vision in eyeglasses, capture and focus light in camera lenses, and disperse light in spectroscopes. Prisms are also used in physics experiments to study the properties of light and investigate refraction and reflection. Additionally, prisms are used in architecture and construction to create decorative elements and provide natural lighting in buildings.
5. Can prisms be found in nature?
While most prisms are man-made objects, there are some natural occurrences of prisms in nature. For example, certain minerals, such as quartz, can form prismatic crystals. These crystals have the same geometric properties as prisms and can refract light in a similar manner. Additionally, ice crystals in the atmosphere can create a phenomenon called a sun or moon halo, which appears as a circular prism-like shape around the sun or moon.
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